Grain stacker



l. BIRKELAND sep-L 29, 1925.

GRAIN STACKER l 2 sheets-sheet 1 Filed oct. A23, 1923 In/vento@ anonce* l. BIRKELAND AGRAIN STACKER Sept; 29, 1925.

Filed oct. 25. 1923 2 sheets-smet 2 k/k mm, Sv s n@ mm. u wm. 1%\ w 5, mmf .....K EN u iQ Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

l' UNITED STATES- "PArl-:Nrforricl-z.

INGOLE BIRKELAND, E EOM' BENTON, MONTANA, Assrenoa or THREE-romans To ELIZABETH BIEKELAND, or 'roar BENTOMMONTANA.

GRAIN STACKER.

Application Vl'ed October 23, 1923. Serial No. 670,320.

To all @oh-om t may concern.: f e Beit known that I, INGoLF BIRKELANn, a citizen of the United States, residing 'at Fort Benton, inA the county of 'Chouteau and State' of Montana, have invented a new and useful Grain Stacker, of which the fol# vlowing is a specification.`

The present invention has reference to machines especially designed for stacking*V formation and includes thevertical end grain after the same has passed through a heading machine, the primary obj ect of the invention being to provide a machine of this character which will stack the material under treatment inv such a way as to cause the same to shed moisture.

Another obj ect of the invention is to provide a device of thisvcharacter which may be readily and easily controlled by the operator, the operation of the bottom and rear walls of the stacker being purely automatic.

A still further object of the invent-ion is the provision vof means operated by the drive wheels ofthe machine forY levelingthe grain as it enters the stacker, t0 `insure' the true stacking of the material.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the descriptionv proceeds, the invention resides inthe combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter de# scribed and claimed, it` being, understood thatchanges in the precise embodimentof the invention herein disclosed, may .bema'de within the scope of what isy claimed, without departing from the spirit of the-.invention. Referring to the drawings: y Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a stackerconstructed in accordance withithe invention.

Figure 2 is anv end elevational viewl thereof.

Figure 3 is a detail elevational view of 'one side 'of the stacker. V Figure 4 is a sectional-view throughone Y of the hinged doorsforming the bottom of the stacker. Y

Figure '5 is afragmental'sectional view Y through the end gate illustrating the action of the latch member.;

Referring to Athe drawing in detail, the

Y reference character A5 designates the side rails of the frame of the stacker which supports' suitable bearings 6 that accommodate the shaft 7 on which the bull' wheels 8 are mounted. f l 'At the forward` end of the machine, are the wheels 9-that may be supplied with a suitable steering lmechanism not shownv for guiding the stacker.- y

' The body of the machinei's 'box-'like in rails 10 that are connected atvthe'ir upper ends, byV means' of the spaced horizontal rails 11, the rails 10 being connected at the ends of the machine b-y the bars 12. Having connection with the rails 11 are vertical bars 13 that brace the stacker throughout its length and strengthen the body -Of the stacker against lateral'strain directed thereto by the weight of the material thrown the reardoor are eye bolts thatv accommodate Vone of theV ends of thev coiledsprings 21, the opposite ends thereof having connection with one of the bars 13 at 22, so that when the rear door moves outwardly under the pressure of theV weight of the Vmaterial, inthe stacker the rear door will be automatically returned toits initial or loading position.

At the lower end of the door is ay lug 23 that is engaged by the latch member 24 pivotally supportedintermediate the side walls of the body portion at a point adjacent to thebottom thereof, the latch member being heldin its latching positionpby means of the coiled spring 25. Thislatch member? is supported bythe bar 26 that extends longitudinally of the frame of the machine at a point substantially intermediate the side edges thereof, the bar 26 beingpivotally supported at its forward end as' shownfat 27. The rear form parts Vof the'- v end of the bar 26 is beveled as at 26, and i;- adapted to rest on the inner surface of tht rear door.

Thus it will be seen that when the latcu member 24 is moved to its inactive position, the bar 26 will drop downwardly under, the weight of the material contained in 'the body portion. A- guard plate '28 is secured at the free end of the bar 26 and is designed to engage the ground surface over which the machine is moving, when the doors of the stacker have been moved to releasefthe load, thereby protecting the latch member and `preventing the same from contacting with the ground surface as the bar drags.

The movable bottom of the stacker includes hinged doors 29 that are connected to thebar 26 at 30, it being understood that the doors 29 are arranged on opposite-sides of the bar 26. These doors 29 include upper sections 3l that are hingedly connected to the upper portion of the stacker at 32 and as shown, are provided with brackets 33 that accommodate the plates 34 that are secured to the door sections 29 to support the door sections 29 in their active positions.

Coiled springs 35 have connection with the upper sections 3l and have their lower ends secured to the bars 13 associated therewith, so that as the sections 3l move down- Y wardly, the springs 35 are placed under tension to return the sections 3l to their normal positions after the weight of the material has been relieved therefrom.

Extending downwardly from the upper sections 3l and secured to the upper surfaces thereof are plates 36 that act as guides to be engaged by the upper edges of the doors 29 to guide the doors to the brackets 33 as the bar 26 supporting the doors, moves upwardly. l

Coiled springs 37 are connected with the bar .26 and are adapted to return the bar 26 to its normal position. Positioned at the forward end of the machine' are stationary boards 33 that provide supports for the hinged members 39 hingedly connected to the members .38 at 40, the rear ends of the members 39 overlying the forward ends of the doors 29 as clearly shown by Figure 3 so that as the doors 29 move downwardly, the

`members 39 will also move downwardly.

Stops 4l are carried by the members 39 and contact with the under surfaces of the upper sections 3l to restrict movement thereof.

-Supported between the rails ll at the upper portion of the body are horizontally disposed shafts 42 on which are mounted sprockets 43 over which the endless conveyors 44 operate, the endless conveyors 44 being provided with prongs 45 that engage the material thrown into the body of the machine to scatter' the material throughout the entire body portion of the machine. These endless conveyors are operated in opposite directions due to the relation of teeth of the gears 46. At one end of one shaft is a pinion 47 over which the chain 48 moves, the chain also operating over the sprocket 49 which in turn is operated by the bull wheels 8.

The latch member 24 is controlled by the cable 50 that has connection with the latch member 24 atl, the forward end of the cable'extending to a position in proximity to the operators seat so that the latch member may be readily released by directing a pull to the cable 50.

In the operation of the machine, the machine is driven adjacent to a header spout, of a harvesting machine to discharge the heads into the stacker.

As the body portion of the stacker is filled, the endless conveyors operating at the upper portion of the body, level the material in the body portion. loaded the operator exerts a pull on the cable 50 releasing the rear door and allowing the bar 26 to move downwardly withdrawing the plates 34 froml under the brackets 33 and allowing the contents of the body to fall from the machine.

lt is obvious that as the doors 29 move downwardly to'deposit the material supported thereon, the members 39 also swing outwardlyl to release such material as is deposited thereon.

Since the doors 29 are normally supported at angles, as the'materialpasses from the body, the material sags or falls downwardly at the sides thereof, Vforming a crown or water shed at the top of the stack.

Vhat is claimed as new is:

l. A stacker including a body portion having` inclined bot-tom members, a hinged bar extending ylongitudinally of the body and disposed substantially centrally thereof, said bottom members being hingedly connected to the bar, a hinged door at the rear of the body, means carried by the bar and contacting with the door for normally holding the bottom members and door in their closed positions, means for releasing the door holding means to discharge the contents of the stacker, and means for returning the door and bottom members to their normal posit-ions.

2. A stacker including a body portion having inclined bottom members, a bar extending longitudinally of the body portion and having. hinged connection with the body at one end of the bar, said bottom members being hingedly connected to the bar, a hinged door at the rear of the body portion, a latch member carried by the bar and contacting with the door for normally holding the door closed, spring members for urging the botto-m members and doorfto their initial positions after they have moved to deposit the contents of the body, and means for operating the latch. member.

3. A stacker including a body portion, a

lVhen the body 'portion is bar extending along the bottom of the body portion, said bar being hingedly connected to the body at the forward end of the bar, hinged bottom members connected with the bar, means cooperating with the outer ends of the hinged bottom members for normally holding the bottom members in their closed positions, a rear door for closing the rear of the body portion, a latch member carried at one end of the bar and cooperating with the door for normally holding the door in its active position, means for releasing the latch member, and means for returning the door and bottom members to their active positions.

4. A stacker including a body portion, a bar extending along the bottom of the body portion and having pivotal connection with the body'portion at its forward end, hinged bottom members supported by the bar, a hinged rear door for closing` the rear of the body, a latch member for normally holding the door and bottom members in their active positions, means for releasing the latch member to permit the bottom members and door to move to their open positions, a plate carried by the bar and disposed under the latch member to guard the latch member against contact with the ground surface, and means for moving the bottom members and door to their normal positions.

5. A stacker including a body portion, a bar supported adjacent to the bottom of the body portion, said bar having hinged connection with the body adjacent to the forward end of the bar, bottom members hingedly connected with the bar and carrying plates at their free ends, hinged upper sections supported by the body, means carried bythe hinged upper sections for receiving the plates of the hinged bottom members, a door for normally closing the rear of the body, and means for releasing the door and bottom members to deposit the contents of the stacker.

6. A stacker including a body portion, a bar supported adjacent to the bottom of the body portion, and having its forward end hingedly connected to the body portion, movable bottom members carried by the bar, means for releasing the bar to cause the bottom members to move to their open positions, and coiled springs for returning the bottom members to their closed position.

7. A stacker including a body portion, a bar hingedly connected to the body portion at one end of the bar, a door hingedly connected at the rear of the body portion, a latch member for normally holding the door in its closed position, inclined bottom members hingedly connected to the bar, and adapted to move downwardly with the bar, means for permitting the bottom members to move to their inactive positions, and means gripping the free ends of the bottom members for normally holding them in their normal positions.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afliXed my signature.

rmeoLr BIRKELAND. 

